Resolution

72. Like Real People Do

"I had a thought, dear, however scary, about that night..."

Song: Like Real People Do

Artist: Hozier

Harry’s skin was warm beneath my palms as they slid down his back.  My hands kneaded the tense muscles beneath his skin in an attempt to relax him a bit.  He lay on his stomach, arms folded beneath his head and face turned to the side while I perched myself on top of him, legs on either side of his hips.  His eyes were closed as he enjoyed the feel of my hands on his skin, but I knew he was wide-awake from the way his breath blew past his lips. 

I could feel the knots in his back, formed from a combination of physical exertion and stress, as my palms slid over his skin.  I tried my best not to dig too deep and hurt his already fragile body, but every once in a while he blew out a sharp breath that he didn’t quite manage to hide as I hit a sensitive spot.  It was a bit unnerving to see the darkened areas on his skin where bruises lurked beneath the surface, since I knew the cause of them was no longer living. 

An angry red splotch over his ribs reminded me of the fist that had connected there, and the wide, yellowish blotch across his entire shoulder sent a vision of him crashing to the ground through my mind.  Seeing his injuries brought the fight back all over again, bringing the horrible sights fresh in my mind once more.  I used extra caution whenever my fingertips passed over a discolored area, as if trying to draw some of the pain from his body and take it into my own. 

I knew most of his pain wasn’t physical or something I could take away with a soothing touch.  His pain was mental, and it was rooted deep inside his brain where my gentle touch couldn’t reach.  He had valiantly gotten off the floor after his breakdown and perched himself on his bed before I’d managed to make him lie down.  He’d fought me, insisting he didn’t need it, but eventually I’d finally gotten him to agree to let me try and soothe the physical ache out of his muscles.  I could tell it helped a bit now, and was relieved he’d listened to me. 

“Does that hurt too much?” I asked quietly, stopping the kneading motions of my hands to run my fingertips around the edge of a bruise lightly.

“No,” he mumbled.  His lips were slightly stifled by the pillow beneath his head. 

The skin around the bruise was smooth and slightly warmer than everywhere else.  My hands moved to cradle his ribs, my thumbs running lightly back and forth across his skin as I ducked my head down.  My lips pressed lightly to the bruise, kissing the heated surface gently as if my kiss could draw out the pain.  I heard him hum quietly at the soft contact.  I kept my hands placed lightly on his ribs as I shifted slightly, bringing my lips to another angry red splotch to press against his skin. 

I repeated the action, kissing every bruise on his back until my lips had covered most of the surface.  He shifted slightly beneath me, enjoying the feel of my lips on his body.  The muscles beneath his skin flexed as he moved, the fibers rolling smoothly.

“Hmmm,” he hummed quietly as my lips dragged up from their spot on his lower ribs.  Kiss after kiss was pressed into his skin as my lips moved higher up his back, leaving a heated trail on his skin until I drew level with his shoulders.  My chest pressed against his back as I let myself hover over him, my arms holding some of my weight off him.  The skin of his shoulder was warm as it pressed against my lips and I couldn’t stop myself from nipping softly at the muscle there. 

He shifted beneath me again, pushing his hips down into the mattress.  I smirked slightly as my lips moved up his neck, parting to allow my tongue to dart out against his skin.  I noticed the way his hands rolled into fists above his head and the minor shift in his breathing as I continued.